Published on June 19, 2003
The crisis in school funding that put three East Bay districts under state control in the past decade is the focus of a legislative hearing planned for Saturday in Richmond.
The Assembly Select Committee on Bridging the Achievement Gap will hold its first ever hearing on why school districts face fiscal crises.
The panel, lead by Assemblywoman Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley, will examine why schools go bankrupt, what's in place to prevent bankruptcies and how to improve existing financial support systems.
The hearing begins at 10 a.m. in the Richmond City Council chamber, third floor, 2600 Barrett Ave.
In the past 10 years, the West Contra Costa, Emery and, mostly recently, Oakland school districts have come under state control because of fiscal failures. The panel hopes to take lessons from those experiences to improve district oversight and state support systems for local school districts, Hancock said in a statement.
The financial pressures on local schools will only grow in future years as the state resolves its budget crisis and federal officials implement the No Child Left Behind Act, Hancock said.
The Assembly panel will hear from state and local experts on school bankruptcies on ideas for reform, and students and local leaders who experienced state control, Hancock said.